The TEU Numbers the Ports Reported for May
We begin by noting that U.S. Government trade statistics indicate that, while containerized import tonnage through all U.S. ports in May was up 5.1% over May of last year, the volume of containerized tonnage imported through U.S. West Coast ports had jumped by 12.3%. Further, the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach saw containerized import tonnage in May soaring 19.6% over the preceding May. Elsewhere, containerized import tonnage at the Port of New York/New Jersey was off by a half percent from a year earlier. Overall, more than half (53.3%) of all containerized import tonnage shipped through U.S. ports in May entered through USWC ports.
Here are the TEU tallies that are being reported by the ports we monitor.
Southern California’s Port of Los Angeles discharged 449,370 inbound laden TEUs in May, a 26.2% jump from a year earlier but only a 5.0% increase over the volume handled in May of 2019. Outbound loads in May amounted to 107,657 TEUs, a 10.4% year-over-year decline and a 35.7% fall-off from the outbound volume shipped from the port in May 2019. Counting loaded and empty boxes, a total of 4,119,869 TEUs crossed the port’s docks during the first five months of this year, a 9.2% gain over the same period in pre-pandemic 2019.
The Port of Long Beach saw a sharp 40.0% year-over-year surge in inbound laden TEUs in May as the port discharged 418,851 loaded TEUs. That also represented a 44.1% gain over May 2019. Meanwhile, outbound loads (109,168 TEUs) were up 32.9% from a year earlier but were nevertheless down by 9.5% from May 2019. Total YTD container traffic through the port amounted to 4,050.247 loaded and empty TEUs, a 34.6% increase from the first five months of pre-pre-pandemic 2019.
In Northern California, the Port of Oakland handled 83,809 inbound laden TEUs in May, a 5.7% increase from a year earlier but nonetheless down by 2.5% from May 2019. Outbound loads (69,284 TEUs) were similarly up by 2.9% from the previous May but down 11.3% from May 2019. Total container traffic so far this year amounted to 933,309 TEUs, down 11.2% from the volume processed through the San Francisco Bay gateway in the same period seven years ago.
Oregon’s Port of Portland tallied 2,905 laden inbound TEUs in May, an 11.6% year-over-year decline but also 12.6% fewer than were discharged in May 2024, when port officials were pushing to close the port’s container terminal owing to ongoing financial losses. The 3,127 outbound TEUs that left the port this May were likewise down by 17.1% from May 2024. So far this year, total container trade through the Columbia River port has amounted to 30,109 TEUs, 10,085 fewer TEUs than were handled in the first five months of 2024.
May was generally an upbeat month for the Northwest Seaport Alliance Ports of Tacoma and Seattle. Inbound loads (87,186 TEUs) were 6.8% higher than in the previous May, although 22.9% below the number discharged in May 2019. The 47,608 outbound loads exported from the two ports were up 3.3% from a year earlier but down 32.5% from May 2019. Total container traffic YTD amounted to 1,170,979 TEUs, 25.5% below the total volume recorded in the same period seven years earlier.
Canada’s largest seaport, the Port of Vancouver, handled 168,646 inbound laden TEUs in May, down 5.6% from a year earlier but up 29.0% from May 2019. Outbound loads of 75,202 TEUs were up 9.6% from May 2025 but down 21.0% from May 2019. Total container traffic through the British Columba gateway in the first five months of this year amounted to 1,559,130 TEUs, a 10.6% gain over the same period in 2019.
The Port of Prince Rupert sustained a 15.3% falloff in inbound loads in May, with 38,612 laden TEUs declining from 45,608 TEUs in May 2025 and by 32.9% from the 57,578 laden inbound TEUs the port handled in May 2019. While the 16,313 outbound loaded TEUs shipped from the port in May represented a sharp 50.7% year-over-year gain, they remained down 16.2% from the 19,458 outbound loads recorded seven years earlier. Total container traffic YTD through the British Columbia port amounted to 357,127 TEUs, down 21.4% from the first five months of 2019.
On the East Coast, the Port of New York/New Jersey reported that 400,995 laden TEUs arrived in May, a 4.9% increase from the same month a year earlier and a 17.7% gain over May 2019. Meanwhile, the 121,915 inbound laden TEUs shipped in May represented declines of 5.9% from May 2025 and 7.9% from May 2019. Total YTD container traffic through the bi-state maritime complex amounted to 3,657,737 loaded and empty TEUs, up 20.2% from than the volume handled in the same period in 2019.
The Port of Norfolk discharged 147,936 laden TEUs in May, a 9.8% bump from a year earlier and a 23.7% gain over May 2019. Outbound loads from the Virginia port in May (95,983 TEUs) were up 2.8% year-over-year and 9.0% higher than in May 2019. Total container traffic YTD through the Mid-Atlantic Coast gateway amounted to 1,356,444 loads and empties, 11.6% more than in the first five months of 2019.
South Carolina’s Port of Charleston saw a 14.7% year-over-year jump in its laden inbound trade in May to 103,166 TEUs. That volume also represented a 17.2% gain over May 2019. The 51,049 outbound loaded TEUs shipped from the port in May were down 5.1% from a year earlier as well as 28.5% below the volume handled in May 2019. Total container traffic YTD amounted to 986,207 TEUs, down 2.1% from the same period in 2019.
At the Port of Savannah, 258,832 inbound laden TEUs were discharged this May, an 8.7% gain from May 2025 as well as a 39.7% increase over the number of laden imported TEUs in May 2019. Outbound loads in May numbered 127,805 TEUs, a 6.6% year-over-year increase but only a 0.7% nudge up from May 2019. Total YTD container traffic through the Georgia gateway amounted to 2,353,640 TEUs, 24.5% higher than the volume recorded in the same months of 2019.
On the Gulf Coast, Port Houston discharged 188,276 loaded TEUs in May, a year-over-year gain of 13.4% as well as a 75.8% increase over May 2019. Outbound loads in May (134,934 TEUs) inched up 1.5% from a year earlier but represented a 15.6% gain over May 2019. Total container traffic YTD through the big Texas port amounted to 1,839,511 TEUs, up 52.0% from the same months in 2019.
Generally, May’s frontloading surge chiefly benefited USWC ports, which saw a 15.0% year-over-year increase in containerized import tonnage. By comparison, U.S. East Coast ports handled 2.3% more containerized tonnage this May than they had a year earlier, while Gulf Coast ports actually handled 2.8% less tonnage than they had in May 2025.
On the East Asia import trade, the frontloading wave of containerized imports in May mainly benefited USWC ports, which saw a 21.2% year-over-year boost in inbound tonnage, much more than the 2.3% increase at USEC ports and the 8.5% gain at Gulf Coast ports.
May 2026 Inbound Loaded TEUs
| Port | May 2026 | May 2025 | May 2019 | Change from 2025 | Change from 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 449,370 | 355,950 | 427,789 | 26.4% | 5.2% |
| Long Beach | 418,851 | 299,116 | 290,568 | 40.0% | 44.1% |
| San Pedro Bay Total | 868,221 | 655,066 | 718,357 | 32.5% | 20.9% |
| Oakland | 83,809 | 79,323 | 85,970 | 5.7% | -2.5% |
| NWSA | 87,186 | 81,642 | 111,730 | 6.8% | -22.0% |
| Hueneme | 8,466 | 9,802 | 5,557 | -13.6% | 52.3% |
| San Diego | 7,504 | 5,274 | 5,836 | 42.3% | 28.6% |
| USWC Total | 1,055,186 | 831,107 | 927,450 | 27.0% | 1.6% |
| Boston | 9,979 | 12,011 | 11,436 | -16.9% | -12.7% |
| NYNJ | 400,995 | 382,217 | 340,680 | 4.9% | 17.7% |
| Philadelphia | 38,265 | 33,668 | 26,752 | 13.7% | 43.0% |
| Baltimore | 47,688 | 53,018 | 49,342 | -10.1% | -3.4% |
| Virginia | 147,936 | 134,724 | 119,592 | 9.8% | 23.7% |
| Charleston | 103,166 | 108,428 | 88,009 | -4.9% | 17.2% |
| Savannah | 258,832 | 238,090 | 185,265 | 8.7% | 39.7% |
| Jaxport | 28,810 | 29,286 | 30,022 | -1.6% | -4.0% |
| Port Everglades | 31,685 | 30,382 | 25,619 | 4.3% | 23.7% |
| Port Miami | 41,202 | 44,304 | 37,943 | -7.0% | 8.6% |
| USEC Total | 1,108,558 | 1,066,128 | 914,660 | 4.0% | 21.2% |
| New Orleans | 9,675 | 13,770 | 12,994 | -29.7% | -25.5% |
| Houston | 188,276 | 166,005 | 107,126 | 13.4% | 75.8% |
| USGC Total | 197,951 | 179,775 | 120,120 | 10.1% | 64.8% |
| Vancouver | 168,646 | 178,635 | 130,769 | -5.6% | 29.0% |
| Prince Rupert | 38,612 | 45,608 | 57,578 | -15.3% | -32.9% |
| British Columbia Total | 207,258 | 224,243 | 188,347 | -7.6% | 10.0% |
May 2026 Outbound Loaded TEUs
| Port | May 2026 | May 2025 | May 2019 | Change from 2025 | Change from 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 107,657 | 120,196 | 167,357 | -10.4% | -35.7% |
| Long Beach | 109,168 | 82,149 | 120,577 | 32.9% | -9.5% |
| San Pedro Bay Total | 216,825 | 202,345 | 287,934 | 7.2% | -24.7% |
| Oakland | 69,284 | 67,327 | 78,010 | 2.9% | -11.2% |
| NWSA | 47,608 | 46,086 | 70,541 | 3.3% | -32.5% |
| Hueneme | 1,646 | 844 | 1,389 | 95.0% | 18.5% |
| San Diego | 453 | 286 | 298 | 58.4% | 52.0% |
| USWC Total | 335,816 | 316,888 | 438,172 | 6.0% | -23.4% |
| Boston | 4,147 | 4,953 | 6,853 | -16.3% | -39.5% |
| NYNJ | 121,915 | 120,223 | 132,315 | 1.4% | -7.9% |
| Philadelphia | 9,979 | 7,742 | 6,652 | 28.9% | 50.0% |
| Baltimore | 16,631 | 17,542 | 19,134 | -5.2% | -13.1% |
| Virginia | 95,983 | 93,406 | 88,065 | 2.8% | 9.0% |
| Charleston | 51,049 | 53,796 | 71,399 | -5.1% | -28.5% |
| Savannah | 127,805 | 119,873 | 126,895 | 6.6% | 0.7% |
| Jaxport | 45,226 | 46,459 | 42,180 | -2.7% | 7.2% |
| Port Everglades | 40,906 | 39,939 | 35,805 | 2.4% | 14.2% |
| Port Miami | 22,640 | 23,061 | 35,357 | -1.8% | -36.0% |
| USEC Total | 536,281 | 526,994 | 564,655 | 1.8% | -5.0% |
| New Orleans | 20,592 | 22,253 | 27,757 | -7.5% | -25.8% |
| Houston | 134,934 | 132,900 | 116,693 | 1.5% | 15.6% |
| USGC Total | 155,526 | 155,153 | 144,450 | 0.2% | 7.7% |
| Vancouver | 75,202 | 68,645 | 95,220 | 9.6% | -21.0% |
| Prince Rupert | 16,313 | 10,828 | 19,458 | 50.7% | -16.2% |
| British Columbia Total | 91,515 | 79,473 | 114,678 | 15.2% | -20.0% |
May 2026 Total YTD TEUs
| Port | May 2026 | May 2025 | May 2019 | Change from 2025 | Change from 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 4,119,869 | 4,063,472 | 3,773,862 | 1.4% | 9.2% |
| Long Beach | 4,050,247 | 4,042,228 | 3,008,468 | 0.2% | 34.6% |
| NYNJ | 3,657,737 | 3,731,269 | 3,041,814 | 0.2% | 20.2% |
| Savannah | 2,353,340 | 2,448,468 | 1,890,322 | -3.9% | 24.5% |
| Houston | 1,839,511 | 1,837,813 | 1,209,921 | 0.1% | 52.0% |
| Manzanillo | 1,737,024 | 1,590,643 | 1,512,284 | 9.2% | 14.9% |
| Vancouver | 1,599,130 | 1,551,302 | 1,409,784 | 3.1% | 13.4% |
| Virginia | 1,356,444 | 1,396,549 | 1,215,124 | -2.9% | 11.6% |
| NWSA | 1,170,021 | 1,361,246 | 1,572,029 | -14.0% | -25.6% |
| Lazaro Cardenas | 1,144,182 | 1,028,156 | 553,153 | 11.3% | 106.8% |
| Charleston | 986,207 | 1,103,290 | 1,007,011 | -10.6% | -2.1% |
| Oakland | 933,310 | 974,417 | 1,051,255 | -4.2% | -11.2% |
| Montreal | 644,928 | 642,526 | 716,682 | 0.4% | -10.0% |
| JaxPort | 542,946 | 582,125 | 559,387 | -6.7% | -2.9% |
| Port Miami | 483,699 | 486,407 | 473,834 | -0.6% | 2.1% |
| Port Everglades | 484,983 | 503,505 | 443,339 | -3.7% | 9.4% |
| Baltimore | 456,359 | 482,108 | 453,248 | -5.3% | 0.7% |
| Prince Rupert | 357,124 | 347,149 | 454,406 | 2.9% | -21.4% |
| Philadelphia | 434,863 | 386,710 | 245,502 | 12.5% | 77.1% |
| New Orleans | 219,663 | 219,038 | 263,431 | 0.3% | -16.6% |
| Boston | 122,023 | 107,210 | 120,460 | 13.8% | 1.3% |
| Hueneme | 111,124 | 109,768 | 55,810 | 1.2% | 99.1% |
| Portland, Oregon | 30,109 | 36,360 | 20 | -17.1% | ∞ |
| San Diego | 66,263 | 58,781 | 59,633 | 12.7% | 11.1% |